Effect of the Addition of Varied Salt Levels on the Performance of Growing Chickens Fed Rye Diets

A series of feeding trials were conducted with Single Comb White Leghorn cockerels and broiler chickens to determine if salt per se was a contributing factor in the growth-depressing properties of rye. When added salt level increased from .3 to .6% in rye-based diets growth rate and feed conversion efficiency in young chickens improved significantly (P less than or equal to .05) but not to that of corn-fed birds. The relative growth rate of chickens fed rye diets containing .3% added salt was 78 to 86% of that of birds fed rye diets with .6% added salt.